Australian Elections Called for Next Month

Rudd became Prime Minister in June when he defeated the previous PM, Julia Gillard in a leadership fight.

The analysis at the piece suggests the opposition Conservatives are the favorites going into the election:

Kevin Rudd didn’t have to call the election so soon. Constitutionally, the deadline for doing so was not for a few more months. But right now the Prime Minister clearly feels he has some momentum so the sooner the better.

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About Steven L. TaylorSteven L. Taylor is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Troy University. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Thereby scheduling the election one week earlier than it had originally been called for, and atoning for a major slap at the Jewish community by Gillard.

The polls have this election far, far closer than was the case when Gillard was still PM. She was leading the Labor Party to a possibly historic landslide defeat. Now it is competitive and, even if Labor loses, it is quite likely the Senate will continue to have no majority, with Greens holding the balance.

Note: The opposition is conservative with a small c, but Liberal with a capital L. Technically, it is the Coalition (of Liberals and other center-right parties, mainly National).